


Present History

by infinitewritings



Series: The Heart of Harry Wells [2]
Category: The Flash (TV 2014), The Flash - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Christmas, F/M, Grumpy Earth-2 Harrison "Harry" Wells, Lost Love, Slow Build, Slow Burn, christmas is in the air
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-19
Updated: 2019-12-19
Packaged: 2021-02-26 04:15:33
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,768
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21857440
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/infinitewritings/pseuds/infinitewritings
Summary: Christmas brings hope. But, Christmas also brings the past and Harry rather stay buried in his work, in the lab, by himself.He's tired of giving out his heart, but when she flashes her smile, listens to him, and brightens him to the core he feels himself falling deeper and feeling stronger.
Relationships: Earth-2 Harrison "Harry" Wells/Reader
Series: The Heart of Harry Wells [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1574707
Comments: 2
Kudos: 11





	Present History

**Author's Note:**

> She has a name!

A soft hiss escaped between her teeth as Harry injected the serum into her veins. Olivia stiffened her shoulders and curled her fingers into a fist feeling the serum swim through her bloodstreams arming itself against the dark matter. Harry watched her as she kept her eyes shut tight and laboured her breaths. With her joints stiff, he could see her chest rise and fall to the countdown she started in her head—the countdown helping her focus her thoughts and keep her awake.

Every injection wasn’t becoming easier and Harry knew she was becoming better at hiding her discomfort. Every time she’d stay stiff a few seconds longer and every time would want to squeeze her shoulder letting her realize that she wasn’t alone. He wanted to soothe the stiffness away. 

Olivia let out a long sigh as she fluttered her eyes open making him realize he was staring. Settling lower on the stool, he tried to burn his eyes on a different area in the room. With the lights burning her eyes, she focused on Harry giving him a smile.

“You’re always there.” She whispered.

“I have to keep an eye on you. I’ve been warned by Dr. Snow if I don’t, I’d have a lot to answer to.” Harry cleared his throat and grabbed the flashlight next to him and leaned in closer to her to check her eyes. The lines of the dark matter had already begun to disappear again. Lowering the light, Harry watched Olivia’s eyes dance around him. He could see her eyes scan him, taking in every inch, every little detail she could find that would be different from before. Her mind noted down new details and filed it away with all the other details she notices after her serum injection. Unable to interrupt her usual routine, Harry kept his voice low and mentioned the dark matter in her eyes, “it appears to have disappeared again, so that’s a good sign.” 

“Ah,” she blinked away from him, “great, thank you!” Harry gave her a nod and turned back to the screens with her vitals. The numbers flashed in front of him and his mind danced around the possibilities of what she scanned of him. He wanted to ask what details she noticed this time that were different from two days ago. Harry wanted to know why his details were so important to her. After she mentioned how the colour was starting to come back to her, he wanted to present her with all the colours in the world. But, it seemed like she only focused on him. 

“Alright, Christmas party in T-minus 60 minutes!” Cisco yelled through the door while clapping his hands as the team followed him inside. Letting out a little scoff, Harry rolled his eyes. 

“Mister Grinch is duly noted!” Cisco shook his head at Harry and turned to Olivia. “How are you feeling?”

“Definitely less off-balance.”

“Good, because you need to be ready to drink that eggnog. You still owe me the challenge.” Olivia gave him a laugh as she watched Barry and Caitlin talking to Harry. 

“Is everything okay?”

“Oh yeah, they’re trying one last time to convince him to come to the party."

"He's not coming?" Cisco shook his head as she turned to look at Harry who was also shaking his head. Barry made an unhappy face to Harry's response and with Caitlin watched him walk away. Olivia wanted him to come, she wanted to see him outside of the setting of work, of trying to save the world, of trying to save her. She was hoping to help him feel less lonely.

"How are you feeling?" Barry came over, running a hand on the back of his neck.

"Better than yesterday, it just stings." He ran a hand on her back.

"As long as it doesn't get as bad it was before."

"That's true, can't be falling all over you all the time." Barry let out a laugh and looked back at the door.

"I was hoping he'd come. I don't know how I feel about just leaving him by himself."

"Maybe he doesn't feel like a part of the team yet." Caitlin followed Barry's eyesight and gave him a shrug. "We did try to attack him when he first arrived here.” Barry watched Olivia as she stared at the door. 

“Liv.” Barry’s voice was stern when she got busy biting her lower lip and he could see the ideas running through her mind. "Just because he's not coming, doesn't mean you don't come either."

"You just said you don't want to leave him alone!"

"Doesn't mean you don't come!"

“Barry—"

"You realize I can take you to the party faster than you can say no, right?" Barry and Olivia stared at each other and she knew he was ready to flash her off to the West house. But, Barry also knew that her heart was already set to be next to Harry. Ever since the serum started to work for her, Barry watched Harry and Olivia stand just a little bit closer and Olivia smile just a little bit brighter to him. He knew that image of Eobard was finally, slowly, getting replaced and he wanted them lean on each other just a little bit more. "But, you're finally a little bit better to actually enjoy the party."

"I know, but I just..." Olivia took in a long breath, "he's helped so much, and I can't let him be by himself. It might be selfish, but I just don’t want him by himself, not today." Barry gave her a smile as the light in her eyes got softer. Barry pressed his lips together and nodded at her. After holding her angry and crying shoulders in his arms, he was never on board to let her be alone with the idea of Harrison or with Harry.

But she spoke about him differently now.

"Okay, if you're staying, keep an eye on the breach room." Cisco piped in.

"Why?"

"It's been acting up. The room has been measuring different energies and sparks are appearing everywhere.”

"Something is trying to come through?" Caitlin asked.

"Maybe or the room isn't able to hold the number of breaches we've opened. I haven't figured it out yet, but so far it seems moody." Olivia nodded as she began to stretch her fingers. "If you can keep focus on something else." Hitting his arm, Olivia sent the three of them outside of the room, promising them that the breach room will be monitored, and their presents are already under the tree.

Pulling her sweater over her head, she grabbed her room, sucked in a deep breath, and made her way to the workshop.

"Oliv--What are you doing here?" Harry stopped at the door on his workshop. Olivia kept her back towards him, hunched over her book. 

“I could ask you the same thing, why aren’t you at the Christmas party?” Placing a marker in her book, she spun around flashing him a smile as she faced him. Harry could feel his heart skip a beat.

“The West’s…they see a killer when they see me. I have no wish to ruin their Christmas with it.” Harry walked towards her, keeping his eyes trained on her. “But, you didn’t answer my question. Why are you still here?” She watched him reach around her for the wipe cloth and spin it in his hands.

“I didn’t want you to be alone.” She whispered to him, as if the entire room was listening to them. As if she had to keep it a secret, something only they could share. Harry couldn’t look away. The world disappeared around him and the cloth stopped moving in his hands. His breath was stuck in his throat and his jaw hung tight in place. The equations in his mind stopped demanding his attention and the watch on her wrist stopped ticking. He could feel his heartbeat go faster and could not let his eyes blink. Her smile seemed to be the only thing existing. 

Catching himself staring, Harry cleared his throat and whispered a soft ‘right’ under his breath and walked towards his board. His lungs taking in small bursts of breath as if they were catching up from running a marathon. His eyes blinked repeatedly to stop himself from trying to catch a look at her. Positioning himself on the other side of the board, away from her he pulled his thoughts back deeper into his mind, so he wouldn’t accidentally blurt out something. He wanted to tell her that he wanted to spend more time with him and not because he was worried to see if the dose was working. He wanted to tell her that he wants to get to know her and find the moments that make her smile and the ideas that make her angry. He wanted to ask her about her likes and dislikes. Harry wanted to ask her what she locked away whenever she looked at him and stared into his eyes. He wanted to know what secrets of his she manages to pull out of him just by looking at him. 

Instead, Harry poured all his attention to the cloth wiping the markings on the board. His eyes fluttered to her and he watched her reach for a bottle and two glasses. 

“So, why are you really being a Scrooge?” Olivia broke through his thoughts. 

“Scrooge?”

“Scoffing at the idea of Christmas? The whole saying no to the Christmas party and wanting to stay alone.”

“Christmas is another date in the calendar We’ve just given a date in the calendar a name. That’s all it is.”

“Earth-2 isn’t too big on the season of hope?” The word hope vibrated through his bones as little specks of the past flickered through his mind.

“I can’t speak for all of Earth-2, but it has never brought me hope.” Hope escaped his mouth through gritted teeth as he tried cover his memories with something better, with anything else. Olivia could see Harry’s mind flipping through different thoughts, trying to come up with something so the past couldn’t seep through. 

“What do you mean?” Her voice was soft, almost like she knew what he was trying to recycle through his mind. He kept his eyes away from her and on a corner in the room as he continued to calm his mind and reset his thoughts. With his lips forming a tight line, he looked right at her trying share his thoughts without his words. She walked over to him, pouring the whiskey in the glasses, offering him one. She didn’t need him to say anything and she didn’t want him to keep agonizing himself through it either. 

“It’s okay.” Again, her voice was quiet, so the walls couldn’t eavesdrop. This was just them, this moment was for no one else.

“I’m working.” 

“Come on, to our first Christmas.” Sighing, Harry took the glass and gulped the liquid in one swing. 

“You definitely need more.” Olivia watched him let out a sigh as he swallowed. She poured more into his glass, filling it up a little bit higher than the last one. 

“I’m still working.” 

“It’s still Christmas.” With another large gulp, Harry kept the glass near her for easy pouring and turned towards the board. Every time she’d pour one for Harry, she’d top off her glasses. Harry’s eyes scanned the board, trying to find the answers in his scribbles. Every day he would add more numbers and erase just as many equations. More times he wants to throw the board across the room because it still hasn’t shown him the final answers and only the partial cures. After injecting a new dose in Olivia’s bloodstream, he would come back and start from scratch again thinking that this time it would be correct and come back the next day realizing he was wrong. The numbers on the board burned in his eyes as they mocked him because they won’t give him what he wants—a final cure for Olivia. He was tired of the temporary methods to keep her safe. Olivia filling up his glass again, he swallowed the drink with a hiss through his teeth. Harry knew that she looks into his eyes and finds her comfort but knew he hasn't made her proud yet. 

“What are you working on?” Her eyes scanned the board, looking to make sense of the numbers.

“The dark matter problem.” Olivia’s eyes froze on Harry. 

Every day, they fight a new problem. Every day, they work on keeping the city and Barry safe. Harry has been busy fighting between his Earth and this Earth but he still manages to come to her. She’s made sure to keep her reactions to the doses and the remaining dark matter quiet from everyone on the team because she knows it has gotten better and she feels like she has gone back to normal. But every day it hurts a little bit more than the last day and every dose tests her limits more than the last one.

“Harry…you’re still…you can’t still be working on that.”

“We should not need to keep injecting you with more doses. If it was only dark matter, the chemical properties in the serum should make the cells stronger and more powerful to fight against the foreign matter.” Harry turned towards her. “Every time I inject a dose in your veins, how does it feel?”

Olivia watched him as he waited for her answer.

Silence.

“Every day,” Harry repeated, “how does it feel?”

Silence.

“Olivia.” Harry’s voice was soft as he watched her gulp back any words she had begun forming.

“Like my cells are being ripped apart and sewn back together.” Their eyes never wavered from each other until Olivia took a swig of the whiskey from the bottle trying to drown the moments she wanted to scream and rip off every needle and IV from her arms and claw at the dark matter herself instead. Letting out a loud sigh, Olivia tried to bring herself back to the room.

“You don’t think it’s dark matter?”

“If it was dark matter, the problem should have been fixed by now considering how many doses I have given you. But here’s the thing, Barry was hit by lightning that was infected by dark matter, but he didn’t react like you did. Space is full of dark matter and it can’t be as violate or that easy to contain in a vial. The day of the explosion, it wasn’t just dark matter around the accelerator or the city.” 

“You’re saying he created a mixture?” 

“He could have but I could never know which ones he wanted or how he compressed into something of that size.” Harry watched Olivia take another gulp of the whiskey from the bottle and pour him another one. Her mind bounced from ideas and memories as her breath was catching in her throat and her eyes flipped through every moment she could find. 

She saw Eobard near the accelerator, unconscious. She saw him explaining to Barry about the number of different substances that affected the city. She saw herself holding Eobard’s hand in the hospital where he wouldn’t wake up. Olivia saw Eobard watching the numbers of metahumans increase every day and his mind geared towards his end plan.

Every time he was planning something.

Blinking away any traces of tears, Olivia remembered Eobard in his office hunched over a notebook with a pen scribbling equations and notes—the most unlike him habit she fell in love with.

“I have his notes.” Olivia cleared her throat, shoving that memory back into the recess of her mind.

“Notes?!”

“Notes, pen and paper notes.” Olivia shoved the bottle in Harry’s hand and left the room. Watching her leave, Harry sat down at the work table and took a drink from the bottle. He wanted to go to the Wests party, Barry had assured him that they wanted him there but Harry has seen the look in Joe’s eyes. He’s seen how Iris looked at him. As much he can try to be different from the man from before, they still related them together. Harry also knew that he couldn’t keep himself involved in the happiness they had. As long as he can remember, he could never bring himself around to decorate and to feel the excitement of the season. Every time, every year he’d be trying to press down the past that kept creeping out and he had always managed to bury himself in the work that kept him from thinking about the women he couldn’t save. 

So, he kept himself alone. Harry didn’t want anyone to depend on him because he was always letting them down. 

Taking another sip from the bottle, Harry saw Olivia’s book. It was tattered from the sides with the corners curled up. Her words kept echoing through every inch of his body and her smile had managed to remain etched in his mind. He didn’t come to Earth-1 looking to find someone to give his heart to—sharing his feelings always resulted in something bad. But, he wanted to lose his time in her words. He wanted to understand how Olivia still managed to smile through every day even when her cells were still ripping apart. He wanted to know why she would give up her time to be with him. Olivia’s smile managed to brighten his day and his mind. She managed to become his sunshine, even though he didn’t want attachments. 

He was about to reach for her book when she walked in with a notebook in the air.

“His notes!” She had a light imbalance in her step as she kept tipping over the closer she walked to Harry. 

“A man from the future and he had a notebook.”

“Apparently,” Olivia gave him a smirk, "he liked his secrets.” Rolling his eyes, Harry took the notebook and flipped through the pages. She stood next to him with a hand on the counter helping her keep her balance. Harry could feel her warmth next to him and instead of flipping through a lunatic’s notebook he wanted to sit her down next to him and learn about her. She would keep chiming in when he’d turn to a page she would recognize. She started to recount little conversations with Eobard and Harry’s shoulders stiffened with every reencounter. 

Harry’s eyes scanned every page carefully. There were timelines scattered across the notebook, every little event highlighted with extensive details. Equations were in every little corner with circles and crosses on different numbers and words. Little drawings explained his ideas and notes about the accelerator went on for pages. Dark matter came up on some sides of the pages, anti-matter was circled on others. There were recordings of weather readings and near the end of the notebook was a small equation. 

Harry flipped back and forth between a couple of pages. His eyes scanning a new part of a different equation. Eobard had little summaries on some pages with his work on a different page. Moving to the board, Harry wrote out the equations. His hand moved faster than Barry could, and Olivia watched him bounce from one corner of the board to the next. He would scratch one portion and write out something new. He would look at the notebook again and write a different number. 

Ignoring a faint sound coming from the building, Olivia walked next to Harry. He was busy circling a number and his breath was fast. His heart was ready to rip out of his chest.

“Harry?”

“Olivia…this…”

“What did you find?” Harry faced her; their bodies only breaths apart. His face was bright, and an excitement sparked through his blue eyes.

“It makes sense. Something finally makes sense. The notes have so much detail, almost everything accounted for.” His breath was ragged, and he was speaking in between exhales of air. 

“Harry.” She needed him to say the words.

“Olivia, I can save you.” Olivia let out a gasp. Her eyes were wide open, ready to pop out of place. Her lip trembled. Harry hadn’t ever said those words to her, even when he was injecting her with the serum. He never said the serum would save her. Now, he was staring into her eyes with his own brightness radiating through his smile and answers swirling through his mind.

“Harry,” her voice was quiet.

“I can save you.” He repeated as he cupped her face in his hands. Their eyes never wavered from each other and Olivia could feel her ears ringing. Her eyes threatened to drown her in tears as her body moved closer to Harry.

_“I can’t save you anymore.” Harrison’s voice was a whisper against the loud sounds of the EKG machine in the hospital room. His face was bruised and his eyes barely open. The sun shone though the hospital window and Harrison kept his eyes far away from any speck of brightness. He didn’t want to be in the room and he didn’t want her to be in the room with him seeing him at his worst._

_“Harrison, that’s not important.”_

_“I promised you the world and its glories. I told you that we’d the centre of the nation and instead, I’ve decreased you to a small square room.” His face was turned away from her and his voice was stern and unhappy. The bed seemed to consume him, and he could feel himself withering away with every sunset. She told him he was lucky to get the room with most sunlight but he wanted to cover it up with as many curtains it took to blind it away from him. The accelerator exploded, and he had to make the mistake to stay close to the blast._

_She reached over and curled her fingers around his hand making him turn towards her. She shone in the sun and his heart clenched—as if it was unhappy._

_“Harrison, you promised me a world with you in it. That’s what I have and I wouldn’t have asked for anything different.”_

_“But, I can’t protect you. I can’t fight for you. I’m…I’m helpless.” Harrison motioned to his legs._

_“We’re not going to start fighting monsters, we’ll be just fine. We’ll get through this.”_

_“Olivia…I’m…” Harrison reached to her face, placing a hand on her cheek. "I know this isn’t what you thought for yourself.”_

_“Harrison, I love you. That’s all I’ve thought for myself. As long as you’re here, that’s all that matters.” Harrison’s eyes took in every little detail on Olivia’s face from the reds in her eyes and the bruises from the explosion. He watched the tears well up in the corners of her eyes—the tears she’s been holding back since the night. Pulling her down closer to her, he leaned his forehead against hers whispering to her how much he loves her._

Gasping and losing her balance, Olivia pulled away from Harry’s arm. Her eyes wide open and his throat tight, she turned her back to Harry. Her body was shivering when Harry tried to reach over.

“Olivia, I—" a sound travelled through STAR labs making both of them reach for each other. With quick glances, they ran towards the door with Harry grabbing his gun. 

“That was the breach room.” Harry voice was stern. 

“I’ll check the cameras.” Olivia was rushing the other direction with Cisco’s voice echoing in her ears.

“Stay in the cortex.”

Harry powered his gun and kept his back to the wall. His feet were slow and steady with every step planned. His breaths were long and quiet. He’s heard the sounds before when he walked through the breach himself and with every nerve tingling he knew something was wrong. There was a spark in the air and his finger shivered as it stayed on the trigger. Harry’s mind floated to Olivia and the cortex. 

No-one else was in the building and he let her run in the opposite direction, alone. 

Quickening his step, he turned towards the breach room. 

His heart fell when the room was empty. 

There was a wind in the air and a spark of electricity. His eyes travelled from the middle of the room, through the door and down the corridor. A hunch grew in his mind as he saw the scattered papers and the aftermath of a spinning pen halting to a stop. As Harry’s breath got caught in his throat, his mind kept reminding him that Olivia was alone. Keeping himself steady and his gun perked against his shoulder, Harry picked up his pace as he marched away from the door and towards the cortex. Trying to scan everything around him, Harry stayed in the middle of the hallway trying to feel the air, hoping to see a spark or the hint of electricity. 

With his fingers sturdier on the trigger, he stopped away from the cortex. The soft air seeping through the walls became much more obvious to Harry. With his profile against the door of the Time Vault, Harry caught his breath. His mind was running through all the different possibilities, trying to arrange them from the most obvious to the craziest. He kept bringing the spinning pen in his mind and the sting of lightening he kept feeling through the secret door and the breach room. Taking in a slow breath of air, Harry turned towards the door. The team had made sure the Time Vault and its secrets was available to everyone, but Harry doubted his own hand as he stood there working through all the different plans in his head. His heart screamed at him that his is bad idea and his mind told him that he needs to check and face whoever was on the other side. He did promise Olivia that he can save her.

Keeping the gun tucked near his shoulder, Harry shook his hand and stretched his fingers. Every inch of him told him that he couldn't face off against what he was trying to prepare for but keeping himself ready he reached for the entry pad embedded within the wall.

"Harry!" Olivia called after him. "I think we're going crazy." Harry quickly turned towards her, lowering his gun and relaxing his shoulders. His eyes danced around her, trying to find any semblance of an injury. Harry watched her walk closer to him without any panic from before when she jumped out of his arms.

"What did you see?"

"That's the thing. Nothing. There was nothing on the cameras, the breach room was quiet." Harry could feel the electricity still on the back of his head and he could still the spinning pen on the floor.

"Nothing? No signs of a breach opening?" Harry's eyes kept dancing between the door and Olivia. She kept shaking her head.

"There were a few sparks and maybe a dot of what could be a breach but definitely nothing big enough to teleport a person here."

"That can't be--"

"We might be hearing things. It is a pretty big place. " 

"I suppose." Harry placed the strap of the gun on his shoulder.

"Let's get coffee." Harry stared at her as she smiled at him.

"Coffee?"

"After all that whiskey, we definitely need something to perk up our senses. And I don't know about you, I also had a massive cup of mulled wine with Caitlin today and my mind is spinning."

"But—the work, the dark matter—" 

"I promise I won't break out the Christmas carols, it'll just be coffee. Not even a holiday coffee." Harry watched her as she continued with her hands gesturing her words. "We won't even sit next to the Christmas tree." Harry's face softened and turned his lips into a small smile. She continued convincing him to leave the building and he watched as her hands continued to speak her words. He almost didn't want to interrupt her and tried to hide his smile as he lowered his head, ears still perked to her words.

"Alright, let's go." As much as he wanted to hide his smile, her bigger smile kept making him flash his dimples. Nodding, Olivia turned towards the elevators and motioned him to follow her. His eyes finally flickered away from her and back towards the secret door of the Time Vault. His bones still felt uncomfortable and his mind still told him to open the door. He could hear her footsteps receding and filed this feeling in the back of his mind.

It really was just a regular coffee.

As promised, Olivia's hands hugged a Jitters mug that didn't smell anything like Christmas. Instead, the flash's symbol sat top of the foam. Harry watched her bring the mug to her lips and thoroughly enjoy the first step. Her fingers drummed along the mug and her eyes settled on everything that wasn't Harry. She moved her eyes from the Barista's, to the Christmas tree, to the doors behind Harry, and back to her mug.

"Something is on your mind." Harry gulped his sip, feeling every ground of coffee working away the alcohol he had accrued. Pulling her bottom lip between her teeth, Olivia looked up at him.

"I shouldn't pry." Harry let out a little laugh.

"How long have you been holding on to it?"

"The entire time.” Olivia watched Harry take a long sip of his coffee and keep his eyes locked on his mug. She could feel him working through his words and flipping through scenarios of the right sentences. "You don't have to explain yourself."

"Thing is—I want to tell you." Harry's voice was softer than usual--almost a whisper. He was worried to say the wrong thing and turn her away. He liked her company. He liked her smile. Her liked that she liked to smile with him and the comfort she brought him. He didn't want to scare her away. His breaths were measured and calm as he tried to keep the past from creeping into his mind. Every thought he had, every memory he had managed to keep buried in his numbers, equations, and researches. He could feel her eyes on him and they weren't burning through him demanding answers. Instead, they were letting him breath and helping him realize he wasn't alone.

"I rather just..." Harry raised his head, making sure the rim of his baseball cap covered his eyes. "I just rather not show you my inability to protect things."

"Harry..." Olivia reached over to his hands and Harry peeled his eyes from the foam on his coffee to her. Her eyes were warm, and her face was quiet.

"I know you think it’s better to be alone through this." Her fingers pressed his hands, "but the thing is, you don't have to be alone." Harry could see her unwavering eyes asking him to depend on someone and share the burden. She was asking him to share the burden with him. As Harry scanned every little detail of her that he could consume, Olivia's eyes jumped to the doors as a flicker of yellow flashed by.

As her handed slid away from his, Harry took in a long sip of his coffee.

"He's still on your mind, isn't he?” He didn’t want her to agree. 

“I gave him my heart, Harry. For fifteen years. It’s hard to take him off my mind.” The flash of yellow replayed on her mind as she glanced at the doors. 

“Do you still—"

“I don’t think so. He broke my heart—sometimes, I think it would have been better if he just cheated. But instead—" clearing her throat she continued. “For almost two decades, he had this power over me and I had imagined my entire life with him. He had become my endgame. His smile was my sunshine and our conversations and little routines were the best part of my day. He had my life and my entire heart in the palm of his hands. So, he stays on my mind, making me realize how he has everything of mine.”

“Let me earn it back.” Her eyes froze on Harry who continued to sip his coffee. His voice had barely broke more than a whisper.

“What?”

“He has your heart, your mind, and your thoughts. Let me earn that back. Let me earn your heart back.” A shiver went down her spine as her eyes threatened to shower her with tears. Harry’s voice was soft and earnest. Every word was firm, he had no doubt about what he was saying. “I can’t say for sure what the ramifications will be for me or if there will be any positives but somehow, I want to put it on the line for you.” _Please let me create a new, better history._

“You…you have so much else to do. The space mix problem, helping Barry, and things with your own Earth. This whole thing isn’t,” the grip on her cup tightened, “it isn’t…” her mind searched for the best word for her disbelief.

“It’s you, Olivia,” Harry watched finally let out a breath. His eyes danced around her taking in every detail and every sadness she tried so hard to hide and the heartbreak she kept living with every day. Her shoulders relaxed, and she bit her lower lip as she lowered her eyes. Harry’s heart raced against his chest, but for once he listened to it. He reached over to her trembling hand and whispered, “it’s always been you.” 

Neither of them knew if it was love that hung in the air or just two broken hearted people leaning on each other. They knew for sure they hadn’t been great in love and they knew they were a crack away from falling apart and in no way could be a shoulder for each other. But out of the multiverse, they managed to find each there and Harry may not be the Harrison she knew from university or the Harrison that created STAR labs, but he was still here saving her. Harry knew he could have chosen any Earth in the realm, but he walked through the breach to this and to her. 

The past hadn’t been kind to him, ripping everything from him and he was afraid to find that this would all be the same. He was also afraid to find if he still had any semblance of love left in him.

But, Olivia made him want to try again. 

**Author's Note:**

> As a fun challenge, I was asked to consider writing something happier. In the spirit of Christmas (and IMPEACHMENT), this something is less bittersweet and less sad.


End file.
